49 counties · Boom Town Index

Ohio

Avg BTI Score
73 / 100
Population
10.5M
National Rank
#6 of 51

State Overview

Ohio's economy in 2025-2026 is experiencing a period of rebalancing, with a focus on advanced manufacturing, energy, and life sciences sectors. Major investments, such as Intel's semiconductor plant in Central Ohio and Amgen's biopharmaceutical campus, are driving job creation and capital investment across the state. While the state saw a slight decline in overall employment in 2025, specific sectors like goods-producing and health care are expanding.

The housing market is characterized by affordability and tight inventory, particularly in metropolitan areas like Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Dayton. Home prices are projected to appreciate modestly, with Columbus seeing consistent growth. State policy changes in 2025 addressed property tax reform and introduced new residential development programs, aiming to improve affordability and encourage housing production. However, migration data indicates a shift, with Ohio ranking lower in U-Haul's 2025 Growth Index, suggesting a net outflow of one-way customers.

Median Household Income
$63,130
State median across 49 counties
Median Home Value
$164,900
Income-to-home ratio: 0.37
Building Permits
28,698
Total residential permits
Natural Amenity
4.3 / 10
#42 of 49 · USDA scale

Ohio Counties

49 counties
Rank County BTI Score Safety Proj. Growth GDP Pop Growth Income Ratio Home Price Climate P/R
01 Allen County 100 C +6.0% +7.5% -0.4% +7.0% 1.7x +6.9% -2.4 10x
02 Mahoning County 98 D +6.1% +1.9% -0.5% +7.0% 3.1x +6.7% -1.7 10x
03 Marion County 98 B- +5.2% +1.6% -0.2% +7.8% 3.3x +5.3% -3.9 14x
04 Trumbull County 97 C +5.0% +3.5% -0.2% +6.5% 3.2x +7.2% -2.1 9x
05 Clark County 97 C +3.0% -0.3% -0.1% +7.5% 4.2x +4.1% -2.0 11x
06 Seneca County 97 B- +2.5% -1.1% -0.2% +11.5% 3.4x +3.6% -3.4 14x
07 Darke County 96 B- +5.5% +12.7% -0.2% +4.9% 3.2x +6.8% -3.3 18x
08 Richland County 95 B- +5.3% +0.8% +0.4% +7.5% 3.8x +7.4% -2.9 13x
09 Sandusky County 94 B+ +3.1% +2.1% -0.2% +7.8% 2.8x +4.4% -2.5 16x
10 Ashland County 92 B +4.4% +1.7% -0.3% +7.0% 4.6x +5.4% -2.8 15x
11 Lucas County 90 D +3.3% +1.8% -0.3% +7.7% 2.4x +5.0% -0.9 11x
12 Wayne County 88 A +1.2% +2.8% -0.1% +8.9% 3.1x +4.0% -3.2 10x
13 Huron County 86 B+ +2.9% -1.8% -0.1% +8.6% 4.0x +4.7% -3.1 16x
14 Knox County 86 B- +4.1% +1.5% +0.4% +10.6% 5.3x +5.2% -2.9 19x
15 Scioto County 85 C +4.8% +1.9% -0.9% +7.2% 3.3x +5.5% -1.0 14x
16 Washington County 83 B +4.2% +3.4% -0.5% +9.0% 2.6x +5.6% 0.2 17x
17 Stark County 82 C+ +2.9% +2.1% -0.1% +8.5% 3.5x +4.1% -2.5 13x
18 Ashtabula County 82 D +4.3% +3.6% -0.2% +8.0% 4.0x +5.0% -0.9 14x
19 Hancock County 82 B +2.7% +0.3% -0.1% +10.2% 2.4x +1.8% -2.6 12x
20 Tuscarawas County 80 B+ +4.1% +4.0% -0.2% +7.7% 3.8x +7.0% -0.3 16x
21 Geauga County 78 B +2.1% +3.9% +0.1% +7.6% 6.0x +3.7% -2.5 24x
22 Erie County 77 B +1.8% +2.0% -0.3% +8.3% 3.1x +1.1% -0.9 16x
23 Portage County 77 B+ +2.2% +1.1% -0.4% +8.8% 4.8x +3.8% -2.2 11x
24 Jefferson County 76 C+ +0.4% -8.4% -0.5% +8.0% 2.0x +2.3% -0.8 13x
25 Miami County 76 B +2.6% +1.1% +0.8% +7.8% 4.5x +3.6% -2.3 11x
26 Summit County 76 D +2.2% +1.4% -0.2% +8.3% 3.1x +3.7% -2.4 12x
27 Medina County 74 A +1.9% +3.4% +0.5% +8.5% 5.8x +3.5% -3.2 12x
28 Montgomery County 74 D +2.4% +1.9% 0.0% +9.6% 2.6x +4.2% -2.2 10x
29 Lorain County 73 C+ +3.8% +3.1% +0.4% +7.8% 5.2x +4.8% -0.3 13x
30 Columbiana County 71 B+ +1.7% +2.8% -0.6% +7.4% 3.4x +0.5% -0.2 15x
31 Greene County 69 B+ +2.4% +4.8% +0.3% +7.0% 3.1x +3.3% -2.0 12x
32 Pickaway County 68 B +1.4% -3.8% +0.6% +6.2% 6.7x +3.9% -2.2 20x
33 Cuyahoga County 66 F +1.9% +1.5% -0.6% +9.0% 2.0x +4.8% -0.6 10x
34 Union County 65 B+ +1.2% +9.0% +2.7% +8.1% 3.6x +1.6% -3.5 16x
35 Licking County 64 B +1.6% +3.5% +0.8% +7.9% 4.9x +2.4% -0.6 11x
36 Hamilton County 62 D +0.8% +0.1% +0.1% +8.2% 2.0x +2.0% -1.4 12x
37 Lake County 62 B+ +2.1% +3.1% +0.0% +9.5% 3.6x +3.3% -0.4 12x
38 Ross County 60 B +2.1% +4.2% -0.3% +7.5% 3.8x +2.1% -1.1 16x
39 Butler County 59 B- +2.0% +4.4% +0.1% +6.6% 3.8x +3.1% -1.6 12x
40 Wood County 59 B -0.0% +2.4% -0.3% +6.3% 3.2x +0.3% -2.8 12x
41 Belmont County 53 B+ -0.3% -2.3% -0.8% +5.1% 3.1x +2.8% 0.1 14x
42 Muskingum County 52 B+ +1.4% +1.3% +0.1% +8.8% 3.3x +0.6% 0.4 13x
43 Franklin County 47 D +0.7% +2.2% +0.3% +7.7% 2.9x +0.1% -2.4 14x
44 Clermont County 46 B+ +1.6% +3.0% +0.6% +9.0% 5.8x +2.9% -0.1 12x
45 Lawrence County 44 C+ +1.2% -8.7% -1.0% +5.9% 4.4x +4.8% -1.1 13x
46 Fairfield County 38 B+ +1.8% +2.2% +1.1% +7.4% 7.6x +1.4% -0.2 12x
47 Athens County 36 B+ +2.1% +2.5% -2.6% +3.6% 4.6x +3.0% -0.0 15x
48 Warren County 26 A +1.2% +4.6% +1.5% +7.8% 4.7x +1.5% -1.1 13x
49 Delaware County 20 A +0.2% +4.1% +2.4% +6.6% 5.5x +0.9% -1.6 20x

Capital Investment in Ohio

Tracked Projects · Public Records
$107.7B
Total tracked investment
25,510
Jobs announced
187
Projects across 45 counties

Where the money is going

Energy $48.6B 45%
Data Centers $46.3B 43%
Manufacturing $7.0B 6%
Commercial/Residential $2.8B 3%
Infrastructure $1.6B 2%
Industrial/Logistics $667M 1%

Top counties by investment

  1. 01 Scioto County $34.4B
    5 projects · 270 jobs
  2. 02 Greene County $14.3B
    5 projects · 1,100 jobs
  3. 03 Trumbull County $5.7B
    5 projects · 500 jobs
  4. 04 Warren County $5.5B
    6 projects · 2,525 jobs
  5. 05 Fairfield County $4.5B
    5 projects · 737 jobs
  6. 06 Mahoning County $4.3B
    6 projects · 284 jobs

Largest projects in Ohio

Project County Amount Status
Portsmouth Powered Land Project (Natural Gas Plant)
SB Energy (SoftBank subsidiary) · Energy
 Scioto County $33.0B Proposed
Project Hummingbird Data Center Campus
Essential Utilities & International Electric Power (IEP) · Data Centers · 1,000 jobs
 Greene County $10.0B Proposed
AWS Data Center (Xenia)
Amazon Web Services (AWS) · Data Centers · 100 jobs
 Greene County $4.0B Under Construction
Stargate AI Data Center Campus
OpenAI, Oracle, SoftBank · Data Centers
 Trumbull County $3.6B Under Construction
Lordstown Data Center Campus (Stargate Project)
Bristolville 25 Developer LLC (in collaboration with OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank Group Corp.) · Data Centers · 134 jobs
 Mahoning County $3.6B Proposed
Amazon Data Center
Amazon · Data Centers · 200 jobs
 Warren County $3.0B Planned
Ultium Cells Battery Cell Manufacturing Facility
Ultium Cells LLC (GM & LG Energy Solution joint venture) · Manufacturing · 2,200 jobs
 Warren County $2.3B Operating
Vantage Data Centers OH2 - Millersport Campus
Vantage Data Centers Management Company, LLC · Data Centers · 37 jobs
 Fairfield County $2.1B Planned
→ Methodology · How We Tracked $4T Across 858 Counties

Source: public records, corporate announcements, state EDC filings. Tracking projects with $25M+ in announced investment or 500+ jobs. Some figures are estimates where exact totals weren't disclosed.

Ohio shaded relief terrain map
SRTM 30m shaded relief
State Spotlight · 2026-04-29

Ohio's economy rebalances with manufacturing and infrastructure investments

Driving economic growth

Major capital investments are fueling growth in specific Ohio regions. Intel's semiconductor plant in New Albany and Amgen's biopharmaceutical campus near Columbus are creating thousands of jobs and substantial new payroll. Additionally, Centrus is expanding its uranium enrichment facility in Piketon, adding jobs in southern Ohio's energy sector.

Housing market trends

Ohio's housing market is experiencing steady price appreciation, with forecasts of 2-4% growth in 2026 across key markets like Cincinnati and Dayton. Central Ohio, particularly the Columbus area, saw median home prices in the $315,000 to $320,000 range in early 2026, with moderate year-over-year increases. Inventory remains tight in major metros, contributing to buyer competition.

Migration patterns

Ohio experienced a significant drop in U-Haul's 2025 Growth Index, falling to 43rd from 14th in 2024, indicating a net loss of one-way customers. While the state attracted a net gain of over 1,000 people in 2023, primarily international migrants, domestic migration has been challenging. Columbus and its surrounding suburbs, such as Marysville and Delaware, continue to attract new residents.

Headwinds and risks

Ohio saw a decline in overall employment in 2025, with a loss of 5,600 jobs between December 2024 and December 2025, primarily in service sectors and federal government. The state's labor force participation rate also decreased. Outdated zoning codes and a shortage of attainably-priced homes continue to pressure the housing market.

Key facts

  • Ohio Department of Transportation is undertaking a record-breaking $3.4 billion construction season in 2026, including 977 new projects statewide. (Ohio Department of Transportation, March 2026)
  • Ohio enacted comprehensive property tax reform in December 2025, expected to deliver over $3 billion in relief to homeowners, with changes taking effect with 2026 tax bills. (Ohio REALTORS®, December 2025)
  • JobsOhio launched a Relocation Incentive in 2025 to attract STEM and experienced talent to the state, utilized by over 200 employers across all seven regions. (JobsOhio, January 2026)
  • The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is projected to average around 6% in 2026, down from approximately 7% at the start of 2025. (National Association of REALTORS®, January 2026)
  • Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus was ranked the best large employer in Ohio for 2026 by Forbes. (Forbes, February 2026)
Updated 2026-04-29 · grounded research
19 sources
  1. realwealth.com
  2. ohiosap.org
  3. jobsohio.com
  4. policymattersohio.org
  5. saukmortgagegroup.com
  6. rockfordhomes.com
  7. ritaboswellgroup.com
  8. statenews.org
  9. vorys.com
  10. ohiorealtors.org
  11. jdsupra.com
  12. mahoningmatters.com
  13. offerpad.com
  14. consumeraffairs.com
  15. youtube.com
  16. greaterohio.org
  17. ohio.gov
  18. ohiorealtors.org
  19. mahoningmatters.com